We are only planning to be here a year for sure so of course friends want to come check out Costa Rica while they have friends here who they can visit, stay with and/or get advice on how to get the most of their vacation. When we left, many people said “I’m definitely coming to visit you in Costa Rica”. But lives get busy and costs are still a factor so we didn’t really expect many would make the trip. Little did we know, we’d actually need a four bedroom instead of three.
We’re a month in and have 20 visitors with confirmed trips for a total of 61 days of visitation to Costa Rica. Apparently it’s a top destination for many of our friends. We look forward to our visitors but realizing now that January through April will be a bit of a revolving door at La Casa de Vaughan. Still, it will be great because we’ll get to share our favorites and send our friends on adventures we’ve already had the great pleasure of embarking on.
Without further ado, if you’re planning a visit to the Guanacaset Province of Costa Rica, here are the top questions I get as well as my responses:
1. What should we expect for flight costs?
This one is always first. And I fear I’ve set some incorrect expectations in telling people I’ve gotten flights for $550. Sorry folks; this is likely the best flight you’ll get. Plan on spending $600-750 and you’ll probably have several options.
2. Where should we look for the bet deals?
This advice will be applicable to anywhere you travel. Check out Google Flights. If your dates are flexible, you can find the cheapest round-trip airfare pretty quickly. You can also set an alert so you’ll get notified if and when prices fall. Don’t give up if flights seem high – contrary to popular belief, the flight prices don’t continue to go up. They fluctuate up and down for weeks and even days before the flight date.
3. What airline has the best routes?
Very few people ask this but they should. From Boise, United typically has the best routes. If you care more about reducing your connections and layover time over price, save yourself some time and go straight to United.com.
4. What time zone are you in?
Easy answer: Central Standard Time – always.
But it’s not that easy. This is a funny one because you think it’d be an easy answer but it often requires further explanation – especially to anyone in Eastern or Pacific time zones – they just aren’t used to making adjustments for others’ time zones. Here’s the thing: everyone says standard time when they give their local time – even when they are on daylight savings time. People, please don’t use PST, MST, CST or EST during daylight savings time. You’re wrong.
Since Guanacaste, Costa Rica is on Central Standard Time – always – we don’t “spring ahead” or “fall back” meaning during your daylight savings, we’re actually in sync with Mountain Daylight Time but outside of that, we’re in sync with – you guessed it – Central Standard Time. Mind blown? Move on to #5.
5. What is the currency? Exchange rate? Should I change my dollars immediately?
This answer is similar for most countries I’ve visited. There’s not rush to convert your dollars to the local currency, Colones because (1) most places take American dollars (gladly) and (2) you can (and should) use a credit card at most restaurants or stores. You might want to get Colones for those few instances where you will need to pay in cash. Again, they will probably take dollars, but you’ll come out behind. Here’s why:
The current exchange rate as of Sep. 11, 2017 is 577.52. But if you want to buy a bottle of water for 2000 colones from a beach vendor, but all you have is dollars, they’ll simply give you a 500:1 rate and tell you it’s $4. If you have colones, you’ll pay an effective rate of $3.46. The higher the price, the bigger premium you pay when you use dollars. So, get $20-100 worth of colones from the ATM in town (not the airport) and you’ll have plenty to get you by. But use your credit card whenever you can; you’ll get the current exchange rate and won’t end up with a bunch or heavy coins (that aren’t worth much) filling up your fanny pack.
6. Fanny pack? Is it not safe there?
It’s safe. I was attempting humor. That said, don’t leave your
cash, electronics, shoes, or really anything unattended. The thieves here are opportunistic – preying on the easy targets. They’re not stalking your every move, getting your routine down so they can rob you blind. But don’t be too relaxed and leave anything on the beach or in your car you can’t live without – because you might have to live without it. And please, don’t wear a fanny pack. It’s really only cool on the 4th of July in the US.
7. Should we rent a car in Costa Rica?
Absolutely! Driving here is an adventure in itself. That said, I would recommend if you arrive near or after dark, that you stay in Liberia or San Jose – wherever you flew into. The roads here are not lit or marked well with reflective materials. They also have blind corners, steep grades and many obstacles (people, cows, horses, pot holes, car-eating gutters, single lane bridges with no guard rails, etc.) that could ruin your vacation on day one if you’re not familiar with the road. Hilton Garden Inn in Liberia has a free shuttle and is very close to the airport. The Courtyard by Marriott is a good option in San Jose.
Also, if you fly into San Jose, give yourself four to five hours to drive to Brasilito or Tamarindo.
8. What kind of car should I rent?
If you’re coming to the coast or planning to hit a volcano, get a 4 wheel drive – like a Rav 4 or Tesorio. You don’t need full size SUV but you’ll want more clearance than a sedan. Many of them are standards (stick shift, manual transmission – whatever you want to call it) so if you can’t drive one, good luck. Ha ha, just kidding. Ask for an automatic. They might have one.
9. Is there Zika virus in Costa Rica?
Yes. Don’t visit if you’re planning to make a baby or are pregnant. If you’re in the clear on that front, bring bug spray – lots of it. Here’s a world map of Zika for reference.
10. What should we do while we’re there?
That’s a question that requires a personalized answer. Here we list our Costa Rica favorite places to visit and this post lists our favorite restaurants in Guanacaste, Costa Rica and we’ll be adding to – including favorite restaurants and favorite adventures. As friends of ours, we likely know a little about you and will make recommendations accordingly. We’ll send you some ideas before hand so you can pack appropriately.
11. Speaking of packing, what should I absolutely bring?
Besides your passport and credit card, there isn’t much you couldn’t acquire if you forgot it – but it’ll cost you. Items that are more expensive to replace or buy here that you’ll most definitely want to include:
- Bug spray
- Sunscreen
- Swim suits (notice that’s plural)
- A hat and/or sunglasses
- Flip flops
- Some clothes – no need for long sleeves or pants unless you plan to visit a volcano or leave the beach area.
- A bottle of 44 North Huckleberry and/or a 6-pack of a Pacific Northwest IPA for your hosts.
12. Will my phone work?
All carriers are different so I’d suggest calling yours to get the options. If you were going to move here, I’d direct you to a whole different list of tips for how to manage your phone and data service in Costa Rica but for a week or two visit, it’s easiest to pay the surcharge or plan on using wife only.
13. BONUS QUESTION JUST ADDED: Can we come for Spring Break?
No. Sorry, that week was the first one to go. But Thanksgiving is still available!
And those are the top questions! If I get more, I’ll add them but I hope this helps you plan your travel with fewer uncertainties. We can’t wait to see you!